The General Court Martial in Makindye on Tuesday ordered that 25-year-old Muhydin Kakooza be taken to Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital after protesting in court.
Kakooza who is jointly charged with 31 others on charges of unlawful possession of ammunition had turned chaotic after the Court presided over by Lt General Andrew Gutti failed to hear their application to be released on bail.
Kakooza and his colleagues who are all supporters of the National Unity Platform are accused of being in illegal possession of 13 pieces of explosive devices, which are ordinarily the monopoly of the Defense Forces.
The Prosecutors allege that they committed the crimes in areas of Jinja, Mbale, Kireka, Nakulabye, Kawempe, Natete and Kampala Central between November 2020 and May 12 2021.
Kakooza who denied the said charges on June 8th 2021 has since been on remand at Kitalya Min Max Prison together with his co accused as investigations continue.
However, in January, 2022 his lawyers led by George Musisi applied for bail for him and his co accused but the application was fixed for hearing on February 15th 2022.
On that day, the Court Chairperson Gen Gutti informed the accused that their matter couldn’t be heard that day because it had not been fixed on the cause list and they were accordingly sent on remand until February 28th 2022 for the trial to commence after court heard that this time round investigations were complete.
However, shortly after the adjournment, Kakooza rose up and started complaining loudly that they are living under poor conditions at Kitalya Min Max prison where they sleep in “bigaali” (wheelbarrows). He also claimed on top of his voice that they are being persecuted because of their political beliefs and do not have any case whatsoever.
Kakooza noted that despite their mistreatment, they are hopeful that one day they will ‘wear the crown’ together with their party president, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.
Kakooza’s outburst didn’t go down well with Gutti who directed that he should be examined at Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital to ascertain if he is mentally sound or not. According to Gutti, should he be found to be sane, Kakooza is to face additional charges.
Uganda Radio Network set out to look for his family, relatives and people who have been with him in the last years to ascertain whether he has any history mental issue or what exactly makes him behave that way.
The information obtained from people he used to work with who preferred anonymity for fear of being arrested and taken to Court Martial as witnesses shows that Kakooza who prefers to be called Saanya has never been married, has no children and is a Muslim clergy who preaches in different mosques around Bweyogerere and Kasokoso in Wakiso District.
He also trains school children in Islamic principles and way of life.
According to those who know him, Kakooza is very short tempered, naturally a hyperactive person and he never concedes defeat, very vengeful and cold hearted.
After school about four years ago, Kakooza who was reportedly residing with his elder sister in Kasokoso, started life as a chapatti maker with a stall in the area trading center, a business he did for one year before switching to boda boda riding.
All these, the sources say, he was doing them concurrently with his work as a Sheikh different mosques and schools in the area, which work they say he was excellent at and that he helped many to understand the Islamic way of life. One couldn’t find him at work on Friday and Thursday evening, as this was time for God’s work.
Sauda Nansukusa the Councilor representing Kasokoso at Kira Municipality Council, mentioned that Kakooza is very passionate about NUP and the quest for a change of leadership in Uganda. And during elections, he reportedly worked relentlessly in mobilization, ballot protecting and any other necessary activities to make sure all NUP candidates in the area won elections.
One of his former leaders at his boda boda stage who preferred anonymity, mentioned that Kakooza’s true colors come out if one belittle NUP, Kyagulanyi, the Islamic faith and his source of income.
The leader repeated the Kakooza is only calm when on stage preaching or in class teaching children.
“Kakooza is a very sober person though very short tempered, and for the five years I have known him, I have never seen him use any drugs or intoxicating substance and he doesn’t need any psychological examination as the court martial chairperson ordered”, said the source.
According to sources, Kakooza’s life totally changed when he was imprisoned and his motorcycle confiscated by police when he had gone to attend burial of Charles Mutyabule a fellow NUP supporter in Kayunga in July 2020.
Upon return, Kakooza attempted to commit suicide at the NUP offices in Kamwokya where he wanted to burn himself from, but he was helped by Police which arrested him.
When he was released, his landlord allegedly threw him out of the house, and started to sleep in a room at one mosque in Bweyogerere, given to him by the clergy there.
The leaders at Masjid Ashurax Mosque also told URN that in search for what to do, Kakooza was once caught on camera announcing as he had become a born again Christian in order to receive a two million shillings grant from Pastor Kakande such that he can get a new motor cycle.
“However, he told us that after receiving the money, someone at the church gate removed it from him.” Sheikh Hamza recalled.
Other sources mentioned that Kakooza also went to Pastor Kayanja’s Miracle Center church during the “77 days of glory”.
Kakooza’s sister with whom he was staying in Kasokoso but who refused to tell Our Reporter her names mentioned that as a family, they gave up on him and left his issues to the Almighty God.
Kakooza’s lawyer George Musisi however notes that for them they don’t have any problem with Kakooza being subjected to a mental examination as long as it is done professionally. According to Musisi, there is no current medical record to show that he has any mental issue and suspects that the long stay on prison could be causing him depression.
Trouble for Kakooza and his colleagues started when UPDF accused them of plotting to stage petrol bomb attacks targeting government vehicles and buildings in various places in the country ahead of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony in May 2021, whom they reportedly never wanted to be sworn inafter he was declared winner of the January 2021 polls.
Police later claimed that the suspects masterminded attacks on Kasubi Royal Tombs, on former Jinja Resident City Commissioner Eric Sakwa in Nakulabye, on Uganda Registration Services Bureau and on Katwe police station among others to express their dissatisfaction with the polls.
The suspects were picked by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence kept in their detention before being produced in Court Martial.
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